Whether you are leaving your home unoccupied for a few days, a few weeks, or a few months, it is essential that you take steps to secure your property. This is particularly important over the winter months, when the low temperatures can make small problems escalate into major disasters.
In this post we will outline some of the things you should do when leaving your home unoccupied in winter, along with some things you should not do.
What To Do When Leaving Your House Unoccupied in Winter
DO Strengthen Your Security
Invest in home security solutions that will deter any potential thieves while making life difficult for them should they break in:
- Get a safe or a strongbox for any valuables you will be keeping in your house while you are not around.
- Get automatic floodlights for your exterior, along with visible CCTV cameras.
- Also get a smart doorbell with an inbuilt camera. Some models can send automated alerts to your phone if they detect any suspicious activity.
DO Check Your Home Insurance
Take care to read your home insurance policy wording. Your cover may only apply if your home is occupied. So if you are leaving your home unoccupied for more than a month, or so, you could invalidate your home insurance policy.
If your home will be unoccupied for an extended period:
- Check on the property as often as you can, and try to spend at least one night a month there. This will mean that your home was technically “occupied” that month, which could help you avoid invalidating your insurance.
- If you are not around to check on or occupy the property yourself, ask a friend or a family member to do it for you. You could also hire a professional house sitter (though you may have to tell your insurer about this).
- If you know your home will be unoccupied for a long-term period, but nobody will be around to check on or inhabit the property, then you will need some dedicated unoccupied home insurance.
What Not To Do When Leaving Your House Unoccupied in Winter
DO NOT Advertise That Your Home Will Be Empty
Thieves may specifically target your home if they know it will be unoccupied. So try not to make it obvious that you will not be around:
- If you are going on holiday, avoid talking about it on social media. If you do so, do not mention the specific dates when you will be away.
- Arrange for your post to get redirected while you are away, to prevent undirected mail from accumulating.
- Ask your neighbours to keep an eye on your property while you are away. You could also ask them to put your bins out and take them in again, to make it look like you are still around.
DO NOT Turn The Utilities Off
You might think that you can entirely eliminate the risk of leaks, escape of water, and electrical fires if you disconnect all of the utilities while you are away. However, during the winter months, this is a bad idea.
If you do not heat your home over the winter, your pipes could freeze. When pipes freeze, they expand and crack. This could cause severe damage to your plumbing and your boiler, and could also make leaks and floods more likely.
Instead:
- Set your thermostat to at least 12.5°C for as long as you are away, to prevent your pipes from freezing.
- If you have a timer, set your heating to come on at around 14°C during the coldest parts of the day – the early mornings and late nights.
- Keep your electricity running so that you will be able to power all of your essential home security systems.
You may resent running up utility bills while you are away. But the cost of your bills will be a lot less than the potential costs of fixing leaky pipes and damaged boilers.
Get Comprehensive Home Insurance From James Hallam
James Hallam is an independent Lloyd’s broker with a dedicated team of experienced insurance professionals who specialise in protecting your assets. Talk to us, and we can give you expert risk management advice on keeping your home safe while it is unoccupied over the winter. We can also help you get the specialist, comprehensive home insurance you need for as long as you need it.